Improvement in cut-offs



a nsheets- "smet 2.

H. WADSWORTH.

Gut-off. No. 203,224.

\ Patented April 30,1878.

N. PEYERS. PMOTULITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

8 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. .VSHWSWORTHl Gut-Off. N0.- 2o3,2`24.` Patented April 30,1878.-

N.FETRS. PHOTWLITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. i)v C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

HERBERT WADSWORTH, OF GENESEO, NEW YORK.V

IMPROVEMENT IN CUT-OFFS.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 203,224, dated April 30, 1878 application filed i March 16, 1878.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT WADswonTH,

of Geneseo, Livingston county, New York,

Movement of Rudders and other Objects, of

which the following is a specification:

` In my invention I have had a steering apparatus particularlyin view; but the invention is applicable not only for that purpose, but generally for the purpose of governing the movement o f any object, or of governing the power by which such object is moved.

It is my object to control the extent to which any engine shall function, and to so prevent its further action that should any outside energy iniiuence its renderingthat is to say, the amount of its work or extent of its movement-that energy will be counteracted in exact proportion to its iniiuence on the rendering of the engine. This I effect by connecting ther cut-off which controls the supply of steam 'or other motor fluid with the object whose movement is to be controlled-as, for instance, to the renderingshaft of an enginein such a manner that the cut-off shall derive itsmovement from the obof motor fluid. If by any outside energy or inuence the engine is caused to function beyond this limit, the cut-oli',- moving also proportionately, will admit a supply of the motor iiuid in a reverse direction, so as to bring back the engine to the predetermined point.

My invention is applicable to a great variety of objects-traction and road engines, steamhammers, locomotives, and the like. It is,

' however, as above said, especiallyadapted to control the engines of steam-tillers, and it is this application which I have represented in the accompanying drawings in illustration of my` invention. f v

In the drawing, Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section-of a valve-box, valve,

and cut-oft'in a central neutral position. These parts, in order to illustrate one simple application of myr invention, are mounted 0n a cylinder, whose piston H, through its piston-rod I, is connected with and operates the tiller of a rudder, as indicated in Fig. 1, hereinafter referred to. The extreme functioning of which this engine is capable is the full stroke of its piston.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the port plate. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same. The exhaust-port d leads through b and e, Fig-4. c is the port that leads to the leftend of cylinder A through passage a, and provides for the admission of the. motor fluid to that end of the cylinder. The other admission-port to the opposite end of the cylinder is shown at c1 al. S, Fig. 7, is a plan of the cut-off, provided with three ports corresponding to those of the port-plate. e2 corresponds to o, f to d, and e3 to c1.

Fig. 5 is a top view,and Fig. 6 a bottoml view, of the steam-valve E. This valve, the cut-oif, and the port-plate are shown in their relative positions in Fig. 2,. The ports g g of the valve E allow the steam to reach the surface of the cut-off. h ij is the exhaust cavity or recess. When the valve E, by suitable means-as, for instance, by its rod m-ismoved to the right in the direction of the arrow, steam will pass to the left end of the cylinder through g, 62, c, and a, and will move the piston H to the right, as indicated by the arrow. At the same time the steam from the right of the cylinder will exhaust through al c1 e3 i h f d b e. A movement of the valve in the opposite direction will produce a contrary action, as will be understood without further explanation. r p r i Steam may enter the valve E through its top; but it is preferable to balance this valve as far as possible by making its top work against the under side ofthe top of valve-box, as shown, in which case the ports g g may open from the side, as shown in Fig. 18.- ln case the valve fills the box, as shown in Figs; 8 and 9, provision can be made for steam-admission by groove G` cut in the side of the valve, through which the motor iluid is allowed free circulation to both ends of the the sides of the valve or at its ends, as yshown in Figs. 9 and 19.

In Fig. 1 I have represented a simple application of the arrangement before described to a steain-tiller.l P is the rudder-head, O, the tiller, whose circular movements about P are converted into rectilinear movement in the line of the cylinder by means of the crankpin N, held in the block M, which travelsto and fro over the piston-rod cross-head K through the slide-opening L, K being enabled to resist any twisting influence by means of the grooved slides J. For convenience sake, the rack f4 is attached to the cross-head K, so as to move back and forth with it. The journey of the cut-off being proportional to same thing in this case, the movement of the cross-head K, it is only necessary to iind the maximum movement allowed the said cut-off by the construction, and to then connect it with the cross-headK by some mechanism that will proportionately reduce the movement of K. This, in the presentv instance, is effected by mounting on a common axis, y, two toothed wheels, x and h4, the latter gearing with the rack f4 and the former with a rack, w, on the rodfu of the cut-off. The two wheels are so proportioned that the radius of a: is to the radius of h4 as the desired movement of the cut-off is to the total movement of the cross-head. Under this arrangement, therefore, the movement of the steam-valve in either direction will, by admitting the motor fluid to the cylinder, work a movement of the tiller; but this movement of the tiller operates the cut-off, which moves after the steam-valve, and reaches the point where it shuts off steamsupply just at the time when the tiller has moved the desired distance. Thus the tiller responds to the movement of the steam-valve, butin so responding brings at once into operation the cut-off, which checks its further lmovement at the'desired point. v

My invention is susceptible of a varietyof modifications, some of which I have represented in the drawings.

Fig.,10` represents the section of a valve-box, valve, andcut-off. The motor is admitted by the feed-pipe c5 to valve-box C, but, as the parts are in a neutral position, can find no passage to a or al; nor is there any passage from these to the exhaust e. If, now, the valve be moved tothe right, the motor, passing through p and r, would enter a, and cause the engine to work 1n one direction until the cutoff S, moved by the rendering-shaft, had resumed its neutral position with respect to the valve, the engine meantime exhaustin gthrou gh r b2 tinto e. Should the engine not stop on account of expansion of iiuid in tubes, or

- from other cause, the cut-off would pass beyond the neutral and assume a negative position with regard to the valve, and a passage being opened through r b2 t and p r al, the. engine would stop.

It must be noted that the tubes a and al should in sectional' area equal that of the feedl pipe, while the ports a and al should be as long as possible, and be cut in the shape shown in Diagram 1 or 2, accordingly as it is desired that the engine start and stop suddenly or gradually.

Fig. 11 is a cross-section through this valve at its middle, neutral, and central position. Fig. 12 is a vertical central section of a fourway cock designed to function similarly to above valve. Fig. 13 is an under-side view of the same. D3 is the discharging-pipe; A2 and B2, the channels for motor to cause opposite functionings in engine. C2, Fig. l2, is the feed-pipe; G2, the partition of the cock, which is moved by the arm O2. H2 is the cut-off moved by arm N 2, connected with the rendering-shaft of the engine. Let G3 be moved as is indicated by arrow, or in the opposite direction 5 then the motor iiuid will, coming from O2 through I2 and E2, pass to A2 or B2 through K2 or L2, as the case may be, exhausting out to D3 through E2 and J 2 by L2 or K2, according as G3 was moved.

Fig. 17 is a transverse vertical section through a circular valve-box, valve, and cut-off. Fig. 14 is a horizontal section, showing the portplate P2, the valve-box B2, the feed G5, the exhaust-pipe D5, exhaust-port Q2, and ports R2 and S2, which lead the motor to function in opposite ways by E5 and F5, Fig. 17.

Fig. 16 is a bottom view of the cut-off, with openings similar to those in the port-plate, U2 corresponding to exhaust Q2, V2 to S2, and W2 to R2. The cut-off T2 has a shaft, c2, passing through shaft c4 of valve X2, by which it is moved by the arm b4, while the valve X2, by its neck t4, is moved by d4.

Fig. 15 is a bottom view of the valve X2. Y2 is a groove, which reaches from the farther ends of the cut-off ports V2 and W2,`and covers the exhaust-port U2. Z2 covers the space on the cut-off between V2 and W2, and is cut through the valve, so that the circulating fluid may enter R2 or S2 through V2 or W2, or neither, as the valve and cut-off stand positive, negative, or neutral. If the valve be moved from the central neutral position, the iluid will enter E5 or F5 by V2, or W2 from Z2, and exhaust to D5 through Q2 or Y2 from W2 or V2.

This valve was. designed by me to control the workings` of a steam-tiller whose swing was ninety-six degreesthat is, forty-eight degrees each way. It was 'intended to be placed just behind the rudder-head and regulate the supply of steam to two cylinders, with cylindrical valves acting on a horizontal screwshaft which engaged in a worm-wheel set on the rudder-head.

In all the arrangements above described, whether an -admission valve or cock be used, it will be noted that the cut-off is provided with ports corresponding to those of the portplate; that it follows the movement of the admission valve or cock; and that its movement is proportioned to that of the rendering-shaft or object whose movement is t0 be controlled in such manner that its journey to cut o the motor fluid, or to close the passage opened by the admission valve or cock for the entrance of the motor iluid, shall occupy `just the time required for the amount of Work or extent of movement required ofthe said rendering-shaft, using the term rendering-shaft to distinguish thereby the object Whose movement is tobe controlled. It is these features Which may be said to characterize my invention.

Having described my improvements, and the manner in which the same are or may be carried into eii'ect, I shall state my claims as follows:

l. The combination, substantially as set forth, With an admission valve or cock, of a cut-off arranged to follow the movement of said admission valve or cock at a speed so proportioned to the movement of the rendering-shaft or other object Whose motion is to be controlled that its journey to close the passage opened by the admission valve or cock shall be completed at the time When the rendering-shaft completes the Work or travels the distance required of it.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, With the rendering-shaft or other object Whose movement is to be controlled, of a valve or cock through which passes the motor uid that drives the mechanism by which said object is moved, and a cut-ofi' connected With and operated by said object to arrest the movement of the driving mechanism at any desired point.

3. The cut-off arranged and operating, in connection rWith the admission and exhaust ports, substantially in the manner set forth, so that the engine, in case it should Work or travel beyond the predetermined point, Will be caused to reverse its action until brought back to that point.

lHERBEM WADsvvoRTH.

Witnesses F. CURTIS, Louis A. CURTIS. 

